From as early as l can remember, my mother was the positive force in our family. I’m now the proud owner of her old copy of
The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale. Great book. My mother always mad
e me feel like I could accomplish anything I desired. And yet growing up I wasn’t much for confidence. I’m not an outgoing socializing kind of person, but I love hanging out with positive people. I’m lucky to have friends who look at life the same way I do, friends that drift toward the energizing aura of people with positive attitudes. When I’m with them, I feel the intens
ity of their positive power and it’s almost as if I can accomplish anything!
I believe sometimes, that people don’t realize to what extent they can be a magnet for someone else’s moods. For instance, when I married my husband, he was one of the most positive people I’d ever met. His affirmative outgoing attitude is partly what attracted me. He’s a salesman. Part of his job description included maintaining a positive outlook, right? And that’s how his mindset coasted for a long time, but when his father became ill and my husband had to spend so much time with him, my husband began to take on his father’s grouchy demeanor. Now it’s understandable the man was cantankerous, he was 94 and not feeling well. I am of course pointing out to my husband his wicked moods…oddly enough, he agrees with me.
This serves to confirm what I’ve always heard; you hang around a grouch long enough you become a grouch.
I also have to continually work on myself in this area, but I take pride in believing that I’m a fairly positive person, or I try to be, because I don’t care for the opposite. Just recently, a friend told me I was an inspiration to her, and that my writing enthusiasm has inspired her to pursue a desire she’d had for a long time. To hear this means a lot to me. That I can inspire anyone to do anything is a big deal. It makes me feel I have purpose, like I’ve made some small contribution to humanity.
I try to remember life truly is short. We have lost so many relatives and friends this last year, that the seriousness of that statement has taken hold in my brain. I don't want to waste another minute! I want to live in an optimistic light. I don't want to spend another moment in a negative atmosphere. Remaining out of those can be tricky sometimes however, so it definitely takes work not to get pulled into that state of mind. But you can do it! Walk away. Put your headphones on. Pretend you have to make a phone call, something just escape!
Having attended many positive thinking and success seminars and having read loads of self-help books over the years, okay and a few hours of face-to-face therapy with a real live psychiatrist, I like to think that I’ve absorbed some of what I’ve been listening to and reading. I’ve found attending these hoo-rah-rah motivational seminars, reading these types of books and listening to audio recordings and podcasts are a tremendous help. The seminars or conventions I find terrifically stimulating, especially when they are specifically for women. We all know the amazing hum of energy that fills a room containing hundreds or thousands of women! Right? Think about all of the writer’s conventions. Aren’t you always incredibly jazzed after those? I know I am. It’s the positive energy flowing through the atmosphere circulating around all those
amazing positive women, (and a few men too) that gets us all revved up!
Surround yourself with positive people and their optimistic energy will surround you.
Become a positive person and other positive people will drift in your direction.
This can be as easy as transforming negative thoughts to positive ones, like: "I can't change I'm too old." to "I'm changing all the time." or "I love changes, they make life fun."
Or it can be much more difficult, like making decisions that will forever alter your life in order to become a happier, healthier, more positive person: changing jobs, moving to a better neighborhood, leaving a spouse. But in the long run, you know you’ll be a better person once you adjust to the different way of life. I believe in following what my gut tells me to do, even if it hurts.
Motivational speakers I’ve enjoyed include, Zig Zigler, Dale Carnegie, Anthony Robbins, Billy Graham, Joyce Meyer, Joel Osteen, to name a few, and there are so many more. I attended a woman’s business convention once where Ron Chapman (A famous Dallas area radio broadcaster) was the motivational speaker and he was fabulous. I laughed lots and had the special opportunity to meet several successful Fort Worth business women as well. Wonderful experience. If you ever get the opportunity to attend a positive anything seminar, GO! They are very rewarding.
Most of the books that I have found helpful over the years, and ones that will remain on my bookshelf forever, are older releases, but I still pick them up and read them on occasion. There are so many helpful books out there I could
n’t begin to list them all here, but if you are struggling with any issue, there is a publication out there just for you that might help.
Here are some of my old favorites that will remain on my bookshelf:
The Bible
The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale.
Your Erroneous Zones by Dr. Wayne Dyer
Fear of Flying by Erica Jong
Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff by Richard Carlson
I’m Okay, You’re Okay by Thomas A. Harris
Seven Spiritual Laws for Success by Depaak Chopra
